Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1997 - Rparchives.org

222 MINUTES OF THE 1997 SYNOD OF THE
2. Whatever the precise order of the service, there are certain invariable
elements of worship that are essential to its being scriptural public worship. These
are congregational praise, prayer, and the reading, preaching and hearing of the
Word of God. On specified occasions, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's
Supper will be included. The receiving of tithes and offerings will often be
incorporated in the service. On occasion the service may include a corporate
affirmation of faith, or sharing personal testimonies of God's grace.
Announcements should be made prior to the service and kept to a minimum so as
not to detract from the worship of God.
Call to Worship and Invocation
3. The worshippers should enter the assembly reverently, taking their seats with
quiet expectancy, looking to the Lord for his blessing upon the service.
4. The minister, or presiding elder, after calling the congregation to the
worshipping of the great name of God, perhaps using the apostolic salutation,
"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," should
then begin with a prayer whichreverently acknowledges the incomprehensible
greatness, goodness, and majesty of the Lord; solemnly confesses our unworthiness
by nature to approach Him and our utter inability of ourselves to do sojhumbly
seeks His pardon, assistance, and acceptancejblesses Him for the unspeakable gift
of His Son Jesus, the only Savior of sinners;joyfully claims all the promises of his
covenant of grace; expectantly applies for his blessing upon the praise, prayer, and
proclamation of the Word that day; doing all in the name of the only mediator
between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. After the worship has begun, everyone should give their undivided attention.
The worshippers should refrain from any behavior disruptive to the minister and
congregation, and a hindrance to their own faithful service to the Lord.
The Singing of Praise
6. The heartfelt singing of praise is an essential element of public worship. The
Psalms of the Bible, because of positive biblical warrant, their inherent excellence,
and their divine inspiration, are to be sung in the public worship of God, to the
exclusion of all songs or hymns of human composition. They are to be sung
without the accompaniment of instruments, since these are not authorized for New
Testament worship. Psalm versions used in the praise of God ought to be accurate
in their rendering of the original Scripture text, set to appropriate music, and be
those which are approved by the church. Psalms, or portions of Psalms, should be
chosen for the coherence of their content and their appropriateness to the theme
of the worship.
7. We are all under obligation to praise God and to sing thoughtfully,
reverently, and enthusiastically, with grace in the heart. Careful attention should be
paid to the music and to the leading of the precentor, that the praise might
resound with an attractiveness refleaive of the glory of God and the beauty of
holiness. Congregations should not fall into the habit of using only certain favorite